Nonspillable drinking unit



Dec. 1l, 1951 E, J, NloRvo 2,578,201

NQNSPILLABLE DRINKING UNIT Filed April 15, 1949 r l' j'l5 f8 J6 "p7 INVENTOR. Ea'zwz rl /Wcaz'I/o ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 11, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE n NONSPILLABLE DRINKING UNIT Edwin J. Nicorvo, South Amboy, N. J.

Application April 15, 1949, Serial No. 87,673

1 Claim.. (Cl. 65-13) This invention relates to drinking units and is directedto novel non-spillable drinking units. The drinking units of this invention are especially designed for childrens use, may be easily and readily produced at relatively low cost, may be easily assembled and taken apart and are of rugged construction.

The various objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description and drawings, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a cross sectional view taken vertically through a novel drinking unit embodying the invention, and on line I-I of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view taken on 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

According to this invention, the novel drinking unit comprises a drinking container which may be a drinking glass, tumbler or cup IIJ having a base II integral with a usually hollow cylindrical or frustro-conical body I2 open at its normally upper end. The body I2 has a narrow supporting bead I 3 integral therewith and extending inwardly from the inner surface thereof. The bead I3 extends around the entire inner circumference of said body I2 in a plane at right angles to the vertical axis body of I2 and is located near, but appreciably below the upper or open end of body I2. The body I2 has a narrow, elongated opening I4 therein located above the bead I3, and a plurality of projections I5 spaced from each other and integral with and extending inwardly from the interior surface thereof. The prodections I5 are located in a plane at right angles to the vertical axis of body I2, and each of said projections is spaced from the bead I3.

The container as heretofore described may be composed of any desirable material, but it is preferable that it be composed of a so-called plastic material, and of that type which has high impact strength and is shatter-proof. For these purposes, I prefer that it be composed of polyethylene.

A cover plate may be demountably coupled with the container I and comprises a circular disc I8 whose diameter is the same as or just slightly less than the` inside diameter of the ring of the inside wall of body I2 between the bead I3 and projections I5, and whose thickness is the same as or just slightly less than the distance between projections I and bead I3. Thecover plate I6 may have an upstanding eye I1 vintegral therewith and carrying a lift ring I8. The cover plate I6 also may be composed of plastic material, such as cellulose acetate and is rigid, yet flexible and resilient for coupling and uncoupling as hereinafter described.

The cover plate I6 has a discharge opening I9 `therethrough and one side of the opening is located near but within the circumferential periphery of cover I 6. A swingable closure or slide Valve 2l of cellulose acetate is mounted on cover I5 to lie over the opening I9 and provide a liquid-tight closure. The closure 2| is pivotally secured to the cover plate I6 by a plastic rivet 22 composed of nylon and extending through closure ZI at one end thereof and through cover I6. Secured to the'closure 2I is a plastic split pin 23 of nylon, having upstanding ends which may be iiexed toward each other. The foregoing sub-assembly may be demountably secured to the container by dropping it upon the projections I5, applying pressure to the center of plate I6 to flex it, whereupon its circular periphery will snap into the space between said projections I5 and bead I3. Pressure is released and the sub-assembly automatically latches itself in that space, with the cover plate I 6 bearing against the inner wall of body I2, the shoulder of the bead I3 and the projections I5 to provide a liquid-tight seal therebetween.

Then an actuator 25, in the nature of a iiat rod 26 having an opening in the free end thereof and having its other end integral with a short handle 21, is coupled therewith. The rod 26, having a resilient member such as a coiled spring 28 Wound therearound, is inserted through opening I4Y and the split pin 23 is inserted through the opening in the end of rod 26 to frictionally latch the actuator 25 to the closure I6. With this accomplished, the spring 2S bearing against the outer wall of body I0 and the upper end of gripper 21 exerts a force outwardly on actuator 25 to maintain the valve 2I in operative or closed position.

With this assembly embodying the invention, the liquid, such as milk, water or etc., which may already have been poured into the container II), cannot flow out of said container when the assembly is tipped on to its side, either accidentally or on purpose by the child. Yet if the child desires to drink therefrom, he grasps the assembly at its upper end and presses against the handle 2l of actuator 25 to move the rod 26 against the action of the spring 28, to swing the closure 2| about the pivot 22 to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2. Now the liquid is free to flow through opening I9.

If while the child is drinking, the unit drops out of his hand, the spring 28 acting upon the rod 26 automatically returns the closure 2| to closed position as the unit drops to the floor or table. No liquid Will spill threfrom because the device is again a liquid-tight compartment.

While this invention has been described in detail, it is not to be limited thereby, because various changes and modifications `may be made within the spirit thereof.

I claim:

A drinking unit comprising a container having an open mouth at its normally upper end, a cover demountably mounted in said upper end and disposed below the upper periphery of V said container and having a discharge opening therethrough, the upper end of said container having an opening therethrough located above said` cover, a valve for said discharge opening' and disposed below the upper extremity of said container, said valve pivotally mounted on said cover, a rod extending through said opening in said container, one end of said rod connected to said valve, a gripper connected to the -other end of said rod and located outwardly beyond the outer surface of said container, a spring associated with said rod and normally acting upon said rod to maintain said valve in closed position, said rod being actuable against the action of said spring by the 'application of a force to said gripper to swing said valve to open position and being disposed below the upper end of said container.

EDWIN J. NICORVO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 42,750 Cook May 17, 1864 711,767 Hirschell Oct. 21, 1902 830,142 Ebbing Sept, 4, 1906 928,390l Watson une 1, 1909 923,650 Hastings et al June 1, 1909 1,380,481 Jennings June 7, 1921 1,547,731 Boyer July 28, 1925 2,358,600 Selten Sept. 19, 1944 

